


The Adventures of Magnus, Marvin, and A Stranger Named Ava

by orphan_account



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Other, Shapeshifting, Trials
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 02:23:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12122469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Becoming engaged to Alex Fierro isn't hard. All you need to do is ride an untrainable horse through a field of poison gas to an orchard where a golden apple grows, pick the apple, bring it back, and somehow not die in the process. Easy.





	The Adventures of Magnus, Marvin, and A Stranger Named Ava

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this for Fierrochase week but I'm posting it early because school's going to be stressful next week so I'll probably forget. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> It's rated teen for swearing.

Marvin the horse was looking at Magnus sceptically. Or at least, what Magnus thought was sceptically. He wasn’t quite sure. 

How difficult could this task be? Magnus asked himself. According to almost every other person who’d tried, incredibly. But then again, all those people were virtual strangers, noble people from other kingdoms who wanted Alex’s hand in marriage for political gain. Magnus was different. He had been working for the Fierros for 3 years now and had been in love with Alex for 2 of them. And he actually had experience with horses. 

Magnus reached into his pocket where he had placed the sugar cubes he stole from the kitchen that morning. They were a bit crumbly by now, but Magnus assumed they’d still work. 

“Hey Marvin,” Magnus said, holding out some sugar on his palm, “Wanna help out a friend?” 

Marvin gave Magnus the horse version of a scowl. 

“Come on, Marvin, I’ve been scooping your poo and giving you hay for years, the least you could do is give me a ride.” 

The horse seemed to consider it, but after a few moments he whinnied and thrashed his head back and forth. 

Magnus groaned. “Fine, be that way. But I’m gonna stay here until you decide to cooperate.”

He backed away from the horse, refusing to break eye contact, and sat down on the bench by the door. He and Marvin stared each other down for a few minutes until Magnus asked himself why he was trying to win a staring contest with a horse and looked away. Immediately Marvin made a sound that Magnus assumed was horse for “Haha, loser.” 

Every ten minutes or so, Magnus would stand back up, try to climb onto Marvin, get thrown off, then go sit back down. It happened at least 5 times before Magnus started to give up. He told himself that he’d try once more, then go to bed. 

As Magnus held out the sugar for the 6th time, and Marvin pushed his hand away for the 6th time, Magnus heard the door open. He whipped his head around, trying to think of an excuse for why he was in Alex’s stable in the middle of the night. 

Magnus let out a sigh of relief when he realized it wasn’t the butler or head maid who had opened the door. Instead, it was someone he had never seen before, a girl about his age with long dark hair, inky black eyes, and a face that looked like the moon. She was wearing a brown cloak that covered her dress, but when she stepped forward Magnus saw green fabric poke through. The colour made him think of Alex. God, he was so far gone. 

“Who are you?” The girl demanded, walking towards him. She either looked angry or confused, Magnus couldn’t tell. 

“I… umm… I’m the stable boy? Here to check on good ol’ Marvin,” Magnus stuttered. 

The girl raised an eyebrow, “Why are you out here so late?” 

“Insomnia?” 

“Right,” the girl said, smirking. She seemed calmer now like she wasn’t going to cut Magnus’ head off. 

“Well, who are you?” Magnus asked, puffing out his chest hoping it would make him look tougher, “I know every employee and all the Fierros, and you’re not any of them.” 

“I’m Al-Ava. I’m Ava and I’m here to win the princess's hand in marriage.”

Now it was Mangus’ turn to raise his eyebrows. “How do you know that Alex is a princess right now?” 

“I- I just do!” Ava exclaimed, crossing her arms. 

Magnus sighed. “Ok, well, whatever. Clearly, we’re both shady characters who aren’t where they’re supposed to be. Now, we both want to marry Alex, so who’s gonna get on that horse?”

“Both. We’ll both do it,” Ava said. Magnus was surprised by how little thought she seemed to put into her response. 

“Are you sure? I’m like… your competition.” 

“Well, let’s say I’ve heard stuff about you. You heal people, right?” 

Magnus nodded. Over the past few years, he’d developed some sort of healing magic. He was pretty well known for it in the town, sometimes people would get him to heal their wounds, but Magnus didn’t know that people from other places knew him very well. Unless Ava lived close by, which was unlikely since it was only nobles who usually tried to marry Alex. 

“I might need to get healed. And you have to let me get on too, or else I’ll strangle you.” As Ava said this she put her hands into the pocket of her cloak and brought out a wire. 

“Ok, ok,” Magnus said, “I don’t want a fight. I haven’t been able to get Marvin to cooperate, do you think you can?” 

Ava nodded and strolled up to the horse. Magnus was a bit worried that she was being too brash and would get her hand bitten off, but surprisingly enough, when she opened her palm to offer Marvin some sugar cubes he ate them up happily. When he was done, Ava patted his head and gave his nose a kiss, then went to get the riding gear. She was able to put it everything on without issue and jumped on his back. 

“You coming?” Ava asked, patting the saddle behind her. Magnus nodded and climbed on, then wondered where to put his hands. Before he could hold on to anything, however, Marvin darted forward and he was forced to wrap his arms around Ava’s waist. Surprisingly enough, the girl didn’t say anything about it and Magnus kept his arms where they were to avoid falling off. 

After they had been riding for about half an hour Ava spoke. “So,” she said, “You want to marry Alex, huh?”

“Well if I didn’t do you think I’d be riding on a dangerous horse with a girl I just met in the middle of the night?” 

Ava scoffed a bit. “Of course not. Umm, how long have you wanted to?”

“Wanted to marry Alex? Or go on a death ride at midnight?”

“Marry Alex, stupid.” 

Magnus thought for a minute before saying, “About two years, I think. I was always, I don’t know, attracted I guess. Like, you’ve seen Alex, right?”

Ava nodded. 

“Well I always thought Alex was gorgeous, but two years ago we actually, you know, talked, and I just kinda knew.”

Ava didn’t say anything and the two rode on in silence for a bit longer before Magnus asked when Ava knew. 

“I never did, really,” She admitted, “My parents want us to get married in order to form a political alliance with this kingdom. Of course, I wouldn’t mind marrying her, she’s nice looking and all that, but… you know…” 

Magnus unhooked his arms to give her a pat on the back, which was a mistake since it almost sent him flying. He quickly wrapped his arms around her again and tried to give her some sort of verbal reassurance. “Well, you know,” He said, “I’m sure you and Alex will get along great. You were able to ride Marvin, and you’re doing it really well. The only other person I’ve seen ride like this is Alex, actually. And if you and Alex do get married, I’m sure you’ll be very happy together. Alex is honestly one of the bravest and strongest people I’ve ever met, you’ll have no problem falling in love. I know I didn’t.” 

Ava looked back at him and Magnus swore she was blushing. She quickly looked back to the front again and pointed in the distance. “The grove is over there,” she said. 

As they got closer to the grove Magnus started to feel a bit light headed. He then remembered the story about a suitor who had made it this far, just to pass out due to the gas that arose from the ground around it. He quickly got Ava’s attention and asked her to stop the horse. 

Once they were at a halt Magnus explained the situation. Ava smiled and reached into the pockets again, this time bringing out two pieces of cloth and what looked to be a perfume bottle. She sprinkled the contents of the bottle onto the cloths and handed one to Magnus. 

“Yuck,” Magnus exclaimed as he brought the cloth to his face, “Is that urine?”

Ava nodded “It neutralizes the gas.”

“I was expecting a potion or something to be in there. Gross.”

“Well, if you think about it, pee is a potion. Kinda.” 

Magnus laughed, “Still gross. But thanks. How are you so prepared? You even have two cloths.” 

His companion’s face closed up and she shrugged. Magnus decided not to ask again and Ava got Marvin to shoot forward. 

Before they knew it, the two were in the grove. “We’re looking for a golden apple, right?” Magnus asked. Ava nodded, stopped the horse, and dismounted, giving Magnus a hand down as well. 

“We should split up, I’ll go this way, you go that way,” Ava said.

“Um, no, that seems like a bad idea,” Magnus protested, but he could tell he wasn’t going to get his way. He said goodbye to Ava and went in the direction that she pointed. 

After wandering around the grove for what seemed like an hour, with no luck at all, Magnus heard a shout. He quickly ran towards the noise and found Ava standing by a tree, holding the golden apple in her hands. 

“You found it!” Magnus exclaimed, “You’re going to marry Alex.”

Ava smiled sadly, looked at the apple, the held it towards Magnus. He looked at it, confused, then pushed her hand away. 

“What are you thinking dude, you found the apple, you get Alex. It’s easy,” Magnus protested.

“No, you have to take it. You deserve it more than I do.” Ava replied, her voice calm and measured. 

“I don’t understand, you did most of the work! I just rode behind you and pointed out the gas, which you were already prepared for.” 

“But you care so much more about Alex than I do, I can tell.” The girl was starting to get a bit exasperated. 

“But you too would make such a great couple!” Magnus retorted, determined not to let her win. 

“Take the fucking apple, Magnus!” Ava exclaimed. Magnus was about to argue again when something terrifying happened. Ava’s face started to change. Her face became more angular, her hair shorter, and her eyes changed colours so that one was a dark brown and the other was the colour of amber. When the change was done Magnus had to do a double take. 

“Alex!?” He said in disbelief. 

Alex Fierro scowled at him, “That’s right idiot, now take the fucking apple or I’ll have to marry myself.” 

Magnus nodded numbly and took the apple out of Alex’s hands. He stared for a while more before Alex got annoyed and asked what was wrong. 

“Well, umm, you’re Alex Fierro.”

“Yes.”

“But you weren’t before.”

“Well I was, you just didn’t know.” 

“Why were you…?”

“I saw you going to the stables from my window and decided to help. I mean, you’re kinda useless so of course, you’d need me.”

“But you didn’t try to stop me?”

“Of course not.”

The two looked at each other in silence for a minute before Alex shrugged and turned towards Marvin.

“You know I want to marry you, Magnus. That’s why I did it. And I know, I know, this is a big deal and everything, you’re probably shocked. But I’ve been a guy ever since we came into the grove and I really want to get out of this dress.”

Alex climbed onto the horse and gave Magnus a hand up. Once he was on, Alex turned to him and said, “As soon as we’re out of range of the poison gas you’re going to kiss me, ok?”

And Magnus did.


End file.
